On a recent trip to France I experienced a breakdown. I think my experience might help others in deciding how to handle such an issue.
It's a bit long-winded, but it is the story as it happened.
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My vehicle is an 2010 Integrated (A Class) motorhome on a Fiat Ducato base and I had very distressing episode on a recent trip to France.
Late afternoon on a Sunday in early September, my wife and I were driving in traffic on a main road in central eastern France, not far from Besançon. The top surface of the road had been scraped, pending the laying of a new top and I hit the ramp that brings the surface level back up to meet the original level. This was quite a bump and I should definitely not have hit it so hard, but I was driving in a line of traffic. However, at the moment of impact, the engine cut out, a raft of warning lights came on, the emergency flashers came on and the doors unlocked. Quite a shock to the system. I certainly new that something bad had happened. As luck would have it, there was a layby just coming up on my side of the road and I was able to coast in to that and stop.
The warning message said FPSon. Having EU Roaming available on my phone meant that I could immediately start an online search for the error and quickly established that the error code stood for 'Fire Protection System - On'. Seeing as there was no fire I actually felt a little easier in my mind that the impact hadn't caused some major structural or physical engine damage. The FPSon error is also covered in Fiat Ducato handbook.
In my holiday paperwork folder I had included details and phone numbers of the European breakdown insurance that was included with my annual insurance. Before calling the Breakdown Insurance I had established the exact coordinates of exactly where we were stopped from my satnav (GPS).
I contacted the UK number that was designated for European breakdown and that was answered almost immediately. The professional and helpful lady that took the call went through every conceivable detail about the condition of the vehicle and passengers, the make, model, dimensions and weight of the vehicle. Also of course the location, and that is where the coordinates were important. She immediately ascertained that we were in a layby on the D673. She advised me they would text me details for further contact and that they would be passing the details to the RAC Breakdown in France.
I duly received a text with the RAC France contact number. I contacted them and just needed to give them my van registration number and they had the full details. They advised that they would send me a text with an ETA for the breakdown truck. This text arrived within about 15 minutes, with the truck pulling up within about another 25 minutes. In the meantime I had also contacted Fiat Motorhome Camper Assistance service that is based in Italy. They took my vehicle VIN number and coordinate details. As there was no question of warranty being involved, they gave me details of the nearest garage that would be able to handle my problem. More on that in a moment.
At least at this stage, we were happy to be heading off to sanctuary. We were loaded up and after about a twenty minute drive we arrived at a garage back yard and were unloaded to sit among a large number of crashed vehicles. This was a Renault car and van garage. There was another motorhome there that had been picked up the day before. They were waiting on a part and hoped to be on their way in the morning. We were both given access to power, but no other facilities. Water and toilet facilities were flatly refused.
The next day (Monday), nothing seemed to be happening, but at about midday a mechanic started work on the other motorhome and within an hour or so they were on their way. I asked the mechanic when were they going to look at our problem. He replied that I would need to talk to the boss. I went around to the reception area and found him in his office He told me that he was not going to look at it at all as our problem was an electrical issue. He said that it was up to the insurance company to find somewhere to have it repaired. I tried to show him the information that I had located online on how to reset the FPSon error, but he was having none of it. He just wanted us out. This was where it began to get much more distressing as RAC France had just advised us that the only location that we were told by Fiat would be able to sort out the problem, that was the Fiat Professional garage, would not even look at it for three weeks.
The situation was beginning to look bleak and we were starting to worry that it was possible that we might have to leave the van somewhere and return home without it. I had to begin to look at this and other options. In the meantime we had to spend another night among the crashed cars.
The next morning I contacted the RAC in France again and was told that they were working on an option to get us to another dealer who should be able to get our problem sorted. They asked if I could hand the phone to the owner of the garage in whose yard we were parked and they spoke to him. Within minutes he was out getting the low-loader backed up to get us out of his yard and in a short time we were loaded and on the road.
Another twenty minute drive and we arrived at a Fiat car dealer garage. This did not look like it was the sort of place that could handle commercial vehicles or motorhomes, and this proved to be the case. They said that they had not known that this was a motorhome when they agreed to look at it. Our man was now getting exceedingly grumpy as he did not want us in his yard no more than we wanted to be there. He decided that the best place for us was to bring us up to the local Aire, just ten minutes away. This was indeed a far better option as it gave us access to fresh, grey and black water facilities and was a far more pleasant setting than his backyard among a load of crashed cars and vans.
There seemed to be a couple of semi-permanent residents at the aire and our arrival on the low loader sparked interest. We were deposited just a bit too far from the borne for our water hose to get a fresh water connection, but we were quickly offered the use of extension hoses and that left us in a much more comfortable situation.
Later that afternoon one of the semi-permanent residents came over to make conversation and get a bit more detail of our predicament. He suggested that we contact a fairly local motorhome dealer to see if they might be able to help. I got the details from him and located them on Google Maps. I contacted the RAC Breakdown and gave them the details. They said that would get back to me.
At about 8:30 the following morning (Wednesday) I received a text from the RAC France saying that the motorhome dealer was going to look at the van and to contact them to arrange a time for the transport. I phoned them and by 12:30 we were loaded up and or our way again. After about 30 minutes drive we arrived at a much better looking prospect. This was a proper motorhome dealer with a garage.
They hadn't come across the FPSon error but I showed them the information that I had obtained online. I did a Google Translate of the information and they studied it. A large lump of a man appeared and somehow managed to manoeuvre himself across the floor under the passenger seat footwell and started work with his electric screwdriver and other tools. My wife and I sat back in the van and watched panels and bits being removed and being placed out of the way. We just hoped that something might come of his efforts.
I couldn't see if he was making any progress or not, but at one stage he managed to get an arm free and seemed to reach for the ignition key, the next second the engine was running, just like it always did, no splutters, just purring. We couldn't believe it. After all the worry and near tears the problem was sorted. He screwed the removed panels and parts back in place and all was done. The charge was €80. I think I might have even paid €800 if they asked for it.
We entered the coordinations of our next stop in to our 10" tablet satnav and headed off. That evening, two very relieved people settled down to a meal 120 KMs down the road.
There are probably two things that stand out for me from this experience. 1: don't forget that the firm suspension on many campers can result in a much more severe bump when you go over traffic ramps and the like, and 2: even for a base vehicle fault, it's very likely that a motorhome dealer could be your best bet for getting it sorted. Certainly on mainland Europe, these are much more plentiful than here in Ireland.
It's a bit long-winded, but it is the story as it happened.
---------------------------------
My vehicle is an 2010 Integrated (A Class) motorhome on a Fiat Ducato base and I had very distressing episode on a recent trip to France.
Late afternoon on a Sunday in early September, my wife and I were driving in traffic on a main road in central eastern France, not far from Besançon. The top surface of the road had been scraped, pending the laying of a new top and I hit the ramp that brings the surface level back up to meet the original level. This was quite a bump and I should definitely not have hit it so hard, but I was driving in a line of traffic. However, at the moment of impact, the engine cut out, a raft of warning lights came on, the emergency flashers came on and the doors unlocked. Quite a shock to the system. I certainly new that something bad had happened. As luck would have it, there was a layby just coming up on my side of the road and I was able to coast in to that and stop.
The warning message said FPSon. Having EU Roaming available on my phone meant that I could immediately start an online search for the error and quickly established that the error code stood for 'Fire Protection System - On'. Seeing as there was no fire I actually felt a little easier in my mind that the impact hadn't caused some major structural or physical engine damage. The FPSon error is also covered in Fiat Ducato handbook.
In my holiday paperwork folder I had included details and phone numbers of the European breakdown insurance that was included with my annual insurance. Before calling the Breakdown Insurance I had established the exact coordinates of exactly where we were stopped from my satnav (GPS).
I contacted the UK number that was designated for European breakdown and that was answered almost immediately. The professional and helpful lady that took the call went through every conceivable detail about the condition of the vehicle and passengers, the make, model, dimensions and weight of the vehicle. Also of course the location, and that is where the coordinates were important. She immediately ascertained that we were in a layby on the D673. She advised me they would text me details for further contact and that they would be passing the details to the RAC Breakdown in France.
I duly received a text with the RAC France contact number. I contacted them and just needed to give them my van registration number and they had the full details. They advised that they would send me a text with an ETA for the breakdown truck. This text arrived within about 15 minutes, with the truck pulling up within about another 25 minutes. In the meantime I had also contacted Fiat Motorhome Camper Assistance service that is based in Italy. They took my vehicle VIN number and coordinate details. As there was no question of warranty being involved, they gave me details of the nearest garage that would be able to handle my problem. More on that in a moment.
At least at this stage, we were happy to be heading off to sanctuary. We were loaded up and after about a twenty minute drive we arrived at a garage back yard and were unloaded to sit among a large number of crashed vehicles. This was a Renault car and van garage. There was another motorhome there that had been picked up the day before. They were waiting on a part and hoped to be on their way in the morning. We were both given access to power, but no other facilities. Water and toilet facilities were flatly refused.
The next day (Monday), nothing seemed to be happening, but at about midday a mechanic started work on the other motorhome and within an hour or so they were on their way. I asked the mechanic when were they going to look at our problem. He replied that I would need to talk to the boss. I went around to the reception area and found him in his office He told me that he was not going to look at it at all as our problem was an electrical issue. He said that it was up to the insurance company to find somewhere to have it repaired. I tried to show him the information that I had located online on how to reset the FPSon error, but he was having none of it. He just wanted us out. This was where it began to get much more distressing as RAC France had just advised us that the only location that we were told by Fiat would be able to sort out the problem, that was the Fiat Professional garage, would not even look at it for three weeks.
The situation was beginning to look bleak and we were starting to worry that it was possible that we might have to leave the van somewhere and return home without it. I had to begin to look at this and other options. In the meantime we had to spend another night among the crashed cars.
The next morning I contacted the RAC in France again and was told that they were working on an option to get us to another dealer who should be able to get our problem sorted. They asked if I could hand the phone to the owner of the garage in whose yard we were parked and they spoke to him. Within minutes he was out getting the low-loader backed up to get us out of his yard and in a short time we were loaded and on the road.
Another twenty minute drive and we arrived at a Fiat car dealer garage. This did not look like it was the sort of place that could handle commercial vehicles or motorhomes, and this proved to be the case. They said that they had not known that this was a motorhome when they agreed to look at it. Our man was now getting exceedingly grumpy as he did not want us in his yard no more than we wanted to be there. He decided that the best place for us was to bring us up to the local Aire, just ten minutes away. This was indeed a far better option as it gave us access to fresh, grey and black water facilities and was a far more pleasant setting than his backyard among a load of crashed cars and vans.
There seemed to be a couple of semi-permanent residents at the aire and our arrival on the low loader sparked interest. We were deposited just a bit too far from the borne for our water hose to get a fresh water connection, but we were quickly offered the use of extension hoses and that left us in a much more comfortable situation.
Later that afternoon one of the semi-permanent residents came over to make conversation and get a bit more detail of our predicament. He suggested that we contact a fairly local motorhome dealer to see if they might be able to help. I got the details from him and located them on Google Maps. I contacted the RAC Breakdown and gave them the details. They said that would get back to me.
At about 8:30 the following morning (Wednesday) I received a text from the RAC France saying that the motorhome dealer was going to look at the van and to contact them to arrange a time for the transport. I phoned them and by 12:30 we were loaded up and or our way again. After about 30 minutes drive we arrived at a much better looking prospect. This was a proper motorhome dealer with a garage.
They hadn't come across the FPSon error but I showed them the information that I had obtained online. I did a Google Translate of the information and they studied it. A large lump of a man appeared and somehow managed to manoeuvre himself across the floor under the passenger seat footwell and started work with his electric screwdriver and other tools. My wife and I sat back in the van and watched panels and bits being removed and being placed out of the way. We just hoped that something might come of his efforts.
I couldn't see if he was making any progress or not, but at one stage he managed to get an arm free and seemed to reach for the ignition key, the next second the engine was running, just like it always did, no splutters, just purring. We couldn't believe it. After all the worry and near tears the problem was sorted. He screwed the removed panels and parts back in place and all was done. The charge was €80. I think I might have even paid €800 if they asked for it.
We entered the coordinations of our next stop in to our 10" tablet satnav and headed off. That evening, two very relieved people settled down to a meal 120 KMs down the road.
There are probably two things that stand out for me from this experience. 1: don't forget that the firm suspension on many campers can result in a much more severe bump when you go over traffic ramps and the like, and 2: even for a base vehicle fault, it's very likely that a motorhome dealer could be your best bet for getting it sorted. Certainly on mainland Europe, these are much more plentiful than here in Ireland.
If I knew then what I know now ............ 
